Living in a car, the pensioner who can no longer afford his rent

A PENSIONER and his wife have been sleeping in their car after running out of rent money.

John Davis and his wife Gwyneth fell on hard times this year with no savings left and when a loan for a business deal did not go ahead they were left penniless.

There has been a rise in people falling homeless and the charity Shelter has compiled figures showing 271 households needed temporary accommodation in the three months up to September.

John, 68, his wife Gwyneth, 59, and their dachshund Jake have spent nights in their Mercedes and on the floors of friends and family after running out of the rent money for their three-bedroom house overlooking Poole Park.

John, 68, a retired broker, said: “I get £171 per week pension but it’s not enough to get you through the week.

“It’s freezing in the car.”

Gwyneth, 59, added: “When you are in this situation you think ‘God, this can happen to anybody’.

“We had a choice of either staying at a bed and breakfast or eating and having to sleep in the car is degrading and humiliating.

“It’s frightening and you don’t get much sleep.”

The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent.

Ben Tomlin, Interim Housing Services Manager, Borough of Poole, said: “The council has reviewed Mr and Mrs Davis’ housing situation with relevant partners and have offered support, advice and assistance in helping them to find settled housing following their recent eviction.”

THE homeless charity Shelter recorded 271 households being placed in temporary accommodation in the third quarter of this year across Dorset.

And Campbell Robb, chief executive, said more than 2000 children in the South West will wake up homeless on Christmas Day.

He said: “No child should be homeless in the South West this Christmas. Every December, Shelter’s helpline and advice centres deal with thousands of people at risk of losing their home.

"We need everyone’s support in the coming months so our advisors can help prevent families from becoming homeless, and help them into a home if the worst should happen.”

Comments (116)

So, it appears this bloke has basically bankrupted the pair of them with a failing business, and now the taxpayer has to pick up another bill left behind by a stockbroker! Does his wife not work?

So, it appears this bloke has basically bankrupted the pair of them with a failing business, and now the taxpayer has to pick up another bill left behind by a stockbroker! Does his wife not work?speedy231278

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent".

So, they are not living in a car then! And as a couple they have been given a 2 bedroom property to live in. Surely a small family would be better off with it.

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent".
So, they are not living in a car then! And as a couple they have been given a 2 bedroom property to live in. Surely a small family would be better off with it.Linguist

I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.

Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.

I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.
Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.LordLilliput

There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.

There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.nbraeman

Why do they have a two bedroomed house property? why not b&b, you get breakfast and a cheap meal out can cost under a fiver for two. They had a three bed home, therefore must have assets to sell, even if just furniture, every penny helps, doesn't it?

Why do they have a two bedroomed house property? why not b&b, you get breakfast and a cheap meal out can cost under a fiver for two. They had a three bed home, therefore must have assets to sell, even if just furniture, every penny helps, doesn't it?MissAnne

'spent nights in their Mercedes' wish i could afford to run a Merc - and they wonder where all the moneys going. Sell the car........

I think that there will be many similar stories to this one by this time next year.The only difference between him and most of us is the fact, that he has had it too good, for much too long, whereas we poorer mortals havent, but hey, we have learnt to be, and are SURVIVORS!.

[quote][p][bold]hammer83[/bold] wrote:
Find it hard to have any sympathy.....!
'spent nights in their Mercedes' wish i could afford to run a Merc - and they wonder where all the moneys going. Sell the car........[/p][/quote]I think that there will be many similar stories to this one by this time next year.The only difference between him and most of us is the fact, that he has had it too good, for much too long, whereas we poorer mortals havent, but hey, we have learnt to be, and are SURVIVORS!.downmoor-ch

Hopefully before comments get venomous to wards the couple I think it's worth considering The Echo's intention with this story.

It does have a history of printing stories for the sake of being confrontational and to attract debate and argument. In many respects that is useful BUT I feel that when they exploit individuals (who are clearly vulnerable) to do this it is inexcusable.

As per my post above, I think with a bit of direction this couple will sort themselves out but in my opinion it is wrong for The Echo to put them in the firing line - that serves no purpose except to sell newspapers.

Hopefully before comments get venomous to wards the couple I think it's worth considering The Echo's intention with this story.
It does have a history of printing stories for the sake of being confrontational and to attract debate and argument. In many respects that is useful BUT I feel that when they exploit individuals (who are clearly vulnerable) to do this it is inexcusable.
As per my post above, I think with a bit of direction this couple will sort themselves out but in my opinion it is wrong for The Echo to put them in the firing line - that serves no purpose except to sell newspapers.LordLilliput

nbraeman wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.

Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.

[quote][p][bold]nbraeman[/bold] wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.[/p][/quote]Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.FNS-man

LordLilliput wrote:
I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.

Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.

You say they should be able to manage on £741 a month, but have you ever looked at the rent prices for small flats?

My daughter and her husband rented an attic ROOM with shared bathroom in Parkstone 3 years ago and their rent for a SINGLE BEDSIT ROOM was £685 per month and didn't include Council Tax etc!

Even flats in Hamworthy are over £700 per month, so I doubt this couple could afford to rent and eat at present.

Having said that, if you look on any Estate Agent's website, there are flats galore to be rented, so why this couple were given a two bedroomed house is beyond me when you consider with the money he should have been earning in the past, you would think they had a little put by.

My sister was in a rented property and was given no help at all from the council when there landlord sold the house she was living in and evicted her and her three children aged between 9 and 15 - for the simple reason that she was not on the council housing list - and I would have expected this couple above were not either, yet they get a home and financial help to get it, whereas my sister had to borrow money from various family members to find another home!!

I'm all for helping people when they become homeless, but that help should be across the board - not cherry picked by the council as to who they will help or not - particularly in this case where they should have downgraded to a cheaper property a very long time before they did :o/

[quote][p][bold]LordLilliput[/bold] wrote:
I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.
Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.[/p][/quote]You say they should be able to manage on £741 a month, but have you ever looked at the rent prices for small flats?
My daughter and her husband rented an attic ROOM with shared bathroom in Parkstone 3 years ago and their rent for a SINGLE BEDSIT ROOM was £685 per month and didn't include Council Tax etc!
Even flats in Hamworthy are over £700 per month, so I doubt this couple could afford to rent and eat at present.
Having said that, if you look on any Estate Agent's website, there are flats galore to be rented, so why this couple were given a two bedroomed house is beyond me when you consider with the money he should have been earning in the past, you would think they had a little put by.
My sister was in a rented property and was given no help at all from the council when there landlord sold the house she was living in and evicted her and her three children aged between 9 and 15 - for the simple reason that she was not on the council housing list - and I would have expected this couple above were not either, yet they get a home and financial help to get it, whereas my sister had to borrow money from various family members to find another home!!
I'm all for helping people when they become homeless, but that help should be across the board - not cherry picked by the council as to who they will help or not - particularly in this case where they should have downgraded to a cheaper property a very long time before they did :o/TD61

Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.The Renegade Master

There are people far more deserving than this couple.
.
The facts as presented in this story don't stack up. Renting a 3 bedroomed house overlooking Poole Park wouldn't have been cheap, if they were struggling to pay the rent why not move to a smaller property ? If Poole Council have given them a deposit and first months rent for a new home why are they still living in their car ? If they can afford to keep a gas guzzling Merc on the road they can afford to pay rent.
.
Also if he's retired (ie no longer working) why did he need a loan for a business deal ?
.
Sorry Echo but this story simply doesn't ring true.

There are people far more deserving than this couple.
.
The facts as presented in this story don't stack up. Renting a 3 bedroomed house overlooking Poole Park wouldn't have been cheap, if they were struggling to pay the rent why not move to a smaller property ? If Poole Council have given them a deposit and first months rent for a new home why are they still living in their car ? If they can afford to keep a gas guzzling Merc on the road they can afford to pay rent.
.
Also if he's retired (ie no longer working) why did he need a loan for a business deal ?
.
Sorry Echo but this story simply doesn't ring true.BmthNewshound

As for cheaper buying, maybe but whats the Brits obssession with owning a home?

Often seems to be a snob value.Go to Scandinavian countries..People are happy to rent.

As for lack of Social Housing, blame Thatcher & her wonderful idea to sell off property owned by Councils.Its led to a plethora of landlords whove used the system to attain large property portfolios & basically all paid for by the state.

People commenting on here though are so nasty.A bit of bad luck might come your way eventually & maybe you'll see things differently?

I am puzzled as to why they get a 2 bed home though? Surely 1 bed or studio suffices? As for the 'Sleeping in the car'? All designed by the Echo who love these emotive stories..Im suprised no ones mentioned their dog?

Typical responses to a typical Echo story.
As for cheaper buying, maybe but whats the Brits obssession with owning a home?
Often seems to be a snob value.Go to Scandinavian countries..People are happy to rent.
As for lack of Social Housing, blame Thatcher & her wonderful idea to sell off property owned by Councils.Its led to a plethora of landlords whove used the system to attain large property portfolios & basically all paid for by the state.
People commenting on here though are so nasty.A bit of bad luck might come your way eventually & maybe you'll see things differently?
I am puzzled as to why they get a 2 bed home though? Surely 1 bed or studio suffices? As for the 'Sleeping in the car'? All designed by the Echo who love these emotive stories..Im suprised no ones mentioned their dog?stevobath

nbraeman wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.

Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.

What additional money? Is it really cheaper to rent? If so, how do buy-to-letters make any profit?

[quote][p][bold]FNS-man[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]nbraeman[/bold] wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.[/p][/quote]Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.[/p][/quote]What additional money? Is it really cheaper to rent? If so, how do buy-to-letters make any profit?The Liberal

LordLilliput wrote:
I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.

Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.

You say they should be able to manage on £741 a month, but have you ever looked at the rent prices for small flats?

My daughter and her husband rented an attic ROOM with shared bathroom in Parkstone 3 years ago and their rent for a SINGLE BEDSIT ROOM was £685 per month and didn't include Council Tax etc!

Even flats in Hamworthy are over £700 per month, so I doubt this couple could afford to rent and eat at present.

Having said that, if you look on any Estate Agent's website, there are flats galore to be rented, so why this couple were given a two bedroomed house is beyond me when you consider with the money he should have been earning in the past, you would think they had a little put by.

My sister was in a rented property and was given no help at all from the council when there landlord sold the house she was living in and evicted her and her three children aged between 9 and 15 - for the simple reason that she was not on the council housing list - and I would have expected this couple above were not either, yet they get a home and financial help to get it, whereas my sister had to borrow money from various family members to find another home!!

I'm all for helping people when they become homeless, but that help should be across the board - not cherry picked by the council as to who they will help or not - particularly in this case where they should have downgraded to a cheaper property a very long time before they did :o/

I'm about to sign the lease on a new flat in Pokesdown - £650 for a generously sized two bedroom flat with all the modcons (central heating, double glazing, buzzer entry system, etc). You can get a bedsit attic room in the heart of Boscombe for as little at £80 per week. You cut your cloth according to how much you have - if you can't afford to pay £700 per month to live in a nice part of town pay less and live in a less nice part of town.

And before anybody says "Easy for you to say" I can't afford to live in Hamworthy, Parkstone or Poole so I've cut my cloth accordingly and live in Boscombe where the rent and council tax rates are cheaper.

[quote][p][bold]TD61[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]LordLilliput[/bold] wrote:
I have every sympathy with people that hit hard times, it can happen to us all. However, I'm struggling a little with this story. If, as is claimed he has a take home pension of what equates to £ 741 per month why are they not putting that towards a small studio/one bedroom flat and if they're frugal that would leave a balance to scrape through the month until life improves. Surely thats better than sleeping in a car or 'on floors'. Also the article makes no mention of whether his wife is working. Assuming she is not I would have thought she would be entitled to at least unemployment benefit which would top up their fund allowing to feed themselves.
Unless there's more to the story than is reported, it does seem there's a way forward for them albeit not an immediately comfortable one.[/p][/quote]You say they should be able to manage on £741 a month, but have you ever looked at the rent prices for small flats?
My daughter and her husband rented an attic ROOM with shared bathroom in Parkstone 3 years ago and their rent for a SINGLE BEDSIT ROOM was £685 per month and didn't include Council Tax etc!
Even flats in Hamworthy are over £700 per month, so I doubt this couple could afford to rent and eat at present.
Having said that, if you look on any Estate Agent's website, there are flats galore to be rented, so why this couple were given a two bedroomed house is beyond me when you consider with the money he should have been earning in the past, you would think they had a little put by.
My sister was in a rented property and was given no help at all from the council when there landlord sold the house she was living in and evicted her and her three children aged between 9 and 15 - for the simple reason that she was not on the council housing list - and I would have expected this couple above were not either, yet they get a home and financial help to get it, whereas my sister had to borrow money from various family members to find another home!!
I'm all for helping people when they become homeless, but that help should be across the board - not cherry picked by the council as to who they will help or not - particularly in this case where they should have downgraded to a cheaper property a very long time before they did :o/[/p][/quote]I'm about to sign the lease on a new flat in Pokesdown - £650 for a generously sized two bedroom flat with all the modcons (central heating, double glazing, buzzer entry system, etc). You can get a bedsit attic room in the heart of Boscombe for as little at £80 per week. You cut your cloth according to how much you have - if you can't afford to pay £700 per month to live in a nice part of town pay less and live in a less nice part of town.
And before anybody says "Easy for you to say" I can't afford to live in Hamworthy, Parkstone or Poole so I've cut my cloth accordingly and live in Boscombe where the rent and council tax rates are cheaper.rozmister

The Renegade Master wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

You're assuming that they have never been taxpayers and have never paid their dues. I would suggest that these two are worthy of help, they don't seem to me to be the usual benefit cheats. I'd much rather pay towards helping these tow than some low-life drug addict with half a dozen illegitemate kids whoo feels that the Country owes them a living.

[quote][p][bold]The Renegade Master[/bold] wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.[/p][/quote]You're assuming that they have never been taxpayers and have never paid their dues. I would suggest that these two are worthy of help, they don't seem to me to be the usual benefit cheats. I'd much rather pay towards helping these tow than some low-life drug addict with half a dozen illegitemate kids whoo feels that the Country owes them a living.Dont drop litter

Loyal2AFCB wrote:
Why should local authorities be obliged to rehouse people who have moved into the area and then fall on hard times? Surely local people must always come first?

Because they have paid taxes all their lives possibly? Not just benefit cheats who have never done a days work or contributed to the system.

[quote][p][bold]Loyal2AFCB[/bold] wrote:
Why should local authorities be obliged to rehouse people who have moved into the area and then fall on hard times? Surely local people must always come first?[/p][/quote]Because they have paid taxes all their lives possibly? Not just benefit cheats who have never done a days work or contributed to the system.Dont drop litter

The Renegade Master wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.

[quote][p][bold]The Renegade Master[/bold] wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.[/p][/quote]I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.Dont drop litter

If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.

Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.

Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.

Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.

If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.
Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.
Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.
Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.jeebuscripes

Maybe is not so bad if liveing in car....it is mercedes! i live in a car for 2 years but it was nissan almera....not so nice! problem is when you need to play a game with friend. no room for a game like escape atlantis.

Maybe is not so bad if liveing in car....it is mercedes! i live in a car for 2 years but it was nissan almera....not so nice! problem is when you need to play a game with friend. no room for a game like escape atlantis.Javier Prigmoretti

The Renegade Master wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.

There are some VERY stupid and ignorant remarks being made here, from people who have never been in this position and I hope they never will be. I HAVE!! When your running your own business and employing staff, generally if your a half decent employer, you put them first and take the consequences which can be extremely harsh, and to be honest the psychological effect of all this is truly harrowing. So before you start shouting the odds about what they should be doing, engage brain before mouth and just think seriously about how YOU would feel if your whole world had disappeared before you. YES, maybe selling the car is a good decision, but is it REALLY that simple, NO, it's not, there will be MANY factors that a short article can't hope to get across. They most certainly have my sympathies and I hope they get their lives sorted soon...

[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]The Renegade Master[/bold] wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.[/p][/quote]I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.[/p][/quote]There are some VERY stupid and ignorant remarks being made here, from people who have never been in this position and I hope they never will be. I HAVE!! When your running your own business and employing staff, generally if your a half decent employer, you put them first and take the consequences which can be extremely harsh, and to be honest the psychological effect of all this is truly harrowing. So before you start shouting the odds about what they should be doing, engage brain before mouth and just think seriously about how YOU would feel if your whole world had disappeared before you. YES, maybe selling the car is a good decision, but is it REALLY that simple, NO, it's not, there will be MANY factors that a short article can't hope to get across. They most certainly have my sympathies and I hope they get their lives sorted soon...Afcbpete

Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.

And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.

Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.
And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.Adrian XX

Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.

Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.pete woodley

As for cheaper buying, maybe but whats the Brits obssession with owning a home?

Often seems to be a snob value.Go to Scandinavian countries..People are happy to rent.

As for lack of Social Housing, blame Thatcher &amp; her wonderful idea to sell off property owned by Councils.Its led to a plethora of landlords whove used the system to attain large property portfolios &amp; basically all paid for by the state.

People commenting on here though are so nasty.A bit of bad luck might come your way eventually &amp; maybe you'll see things differently?

I am puzzled as to why they get a 2 bed home though? Surely 1 bed or studio suffices? As for the 'Sleeping in the car'? All designed by the Echo who love these emotive stories..Im suprised no ones mentioned their dog?

Yes, what about the dog. I'm sure it could make a decent couple of meals if slow roasted. ;)

[quote][p][bold]stevobath[/bold] wrote:
Typical responses to a typical Echo story.
As for cheaper buying, maybe but whats the Brits obssession with owning a home?
Often seems to be a snob value.Go to Scandinavian countries..People are happy to rent.
As for lack of Social Housing, blame Thatcher & her wonderful idea to sell off property owned by Councils.Its led to a plethora of landlords whove used the system to attain large property portfolios & basically all paid for by the state.
People commenting on here though are so nasty.A bit of bad luck might come your way eventually & maybe you'll see things differently?
I am puzzled as to why they get a 2 bed home though? Surely 1 bed or studio suffices? As for the 'Sleeping in the car'? All designed by the Echo who love these emotive stories..Im suprised no ones mentioned their dog?[/p][/quote]Yes, what about the dog. I'm sure it could make a decent couple of meals if slow roasted. ;)Linguist

pete woodley wrote:
Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.

You're right Peter, I don't know them and nor do you. You're assuming the car is expensive, it may be a 20year old E-class in which case it's almost worthless. The point is that if they have been hard working taxpayers (and we don't know that) then they should be entitled to some help.
They don't appear to be the sort to be after a free hand-out - other wise the story might read, "couple forced to watch black and White TV over Christmas unless the Council provides another 42" flat screen for their Council House".
I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.[/p][/quote]You're right Peter, I don't know them and nor do you. You're assuming the car is expensive, it may be a 20year old E-class in which case it's almost worthless. The point is that if they have been hard working taxpayers (and we don't know that) then they should be entitled to some help.
They don't appear to be the sort to be after a free hand-out - other wise the story might read, "couple forced to watch black and White TV over Christmas unless the Council provides another 42" flat screen for their Council House".
I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.Dont drop litter

i hate do-gooders wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !!

Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.

[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !![/p][/quote]Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.Dont drop litter

jeebuscripes wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.

Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.

Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.

Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.

One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.

They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.

[quote][p][bold]jeebuscripes[/bold] wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.
Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.
Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.
Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.[/p][/quote]One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.
They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.afcb-mark

i hate do-gooders wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !!

Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.

It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.

I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.

[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !![/p][/quote]Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.[/p][/quote]It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.
I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.rozmister

jeebuscripes wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.

Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.

Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.

Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.

One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.

They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.

I think the queue for Council Housing would be a lot shorter if the families of those who have lived in them over the years didn't see it as their right.
Council Houses used to be for people who had no other option but now it seems if your parents had one then the kids get one.
Maybe if they get a different dog, maybe a Pit Bull or a Staffordshire Terrier or some equally hard looking grissle hound and the old dear got pregnant they could get one.

[quote][p][bold]afcb-mark[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]jeebuscripes[/bold] wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.
Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.
Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.
Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.[/p][/quote]One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.
They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.[/p][/quote]I think the queue for Council Housing would be a lot shorter if the families of those who have lived in them over the years didn't see it as their right.
Council Houses used to be for people who had no other option but now it seems if your parents had one then the kids get one.
Maybe if they get a different dog, maybe a Pit Bull or a Staffordshire Terrier or some equally hard looking grissle hound and the old dear got pregnant they could get one.Dont drop litter

Adrian XX wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.

And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.

Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.

Must be nice to be Right Wing & so 'fair.

What if hed had a Ford & was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?

[quote][p][bold]Adrian XX[/bold] wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.
And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.[/p][/quote]Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.
Must be nice to be Right Wing & so 'fair.
What if hed had a Ford & was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?stevobath

The Renegade Master wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.

I agree.

[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]The Renegade Master[/bold] wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.[/p][/quote]I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.[/p][/quote]I agree.BournemouthMum

jeebuscripes wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.

Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.

Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.

Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.

One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.

They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.

Picture the scene.....

"But sweetheart, we're running out of money!"

"I don't care, that dog needs his own bedroom."

Brilliant.

[quote][p][bold]afcb-mark[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]jeebuscripes[/bold] wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.
Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.
Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.
Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.[/p][/quote]One bedroom each and the 3rd bedroom could have been for the dog.
They have no immediate chance of a council house with the new criteria, they will simply have to join the queue like the rest of the people who've been waiting years that need accommodation.[/p][/quote]Picture the scene.....
"But sweetheart, we're running out of money!"
"I don't care, that dog needs his own bedroom."
Brilliant.jeebuscripes

Adrian XX wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.

And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.

Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.

Must be nice to be Right Wing &amp; so 'fair.

What if hed had a Ford &amp; was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?

Why are you suggesting he was living beyond his means? There is no indication of this. It's almost impossible to start a business without some kind of loan - he perhaps made the mistake of guaranteeing the loan personally - we don't know this from the article.

If he had been an ex-coalman he would still probably have a decent pension (financed by tax-payers, of course).

There has always been a low-level of moaning - the higher level started when labour bailed out the banks. It would have been better to just let them go bankrupt - the market should rule. We haven't really had prosperous times since the 90s - the last high in the FTSE100 index was in 1999.

[quote][p][bold]stevobath[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Adrian XX[/bold] wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.
And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.[/p][/quote]Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.
Must be nice to be Right Wing & so 'fair.
What if hed had a Ford & was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?[/p][/quote]Why are you suggesting he was living beyond his means? There is no indication of this. It's almost impossible to start a business without some kind of loan - he perhaps made the mistake of guaranteeing the loan personally - we don't know this from the article.
If he had been an ex-coalman he would still probably have a decent pension (financed by tax-payers, of course).
There has always been a low-level of moaning - the higher level started when labour bailed out the banks. It would have been better to just let them go bankrupt - the market should rule. We haven't really had prosperous times since the 90s - the last high in the FTSE100 index was in 1999.Adrian XX

According to the guidelines you are intentionally homeless. I suggest you get rid of the dog and sell the car. Use the money to secure a one bedroom flat or a bedsit. £171pw is more than enough to live on. People on benefits have to survive on £71pw. Getting yourself into debt then playing the victim is appalling. Happy Christmas and good luck. .

According to the guidelines you are intentionally homeless. I suggest you get rid of the dog and sell the car. Use the money to secure a one bedroom flat or a bedsit. £171pw is more than enough to live on. People on benefits have to survive on £71pw. Getting yourself into debt then playing the victim is appalling. Happy Christmas and good luck. .brentmeister

Zero sympathy, if you're in financial difficulty and choose to roll the dice by continuing to pay £2000-2500 a month in rent you shouldn't expect help or sympathy when it all blows up in your face.

What they chose to do is tantamount to gambling then grizzling when they lost.

Zero sympathy, if you're in financial difficulty and choose to roll the dice by continuing to pay £2000-2500 a month in rent you shouldn't expect help or sympathy when it all blows up in your face.
What they chose to do is tantamount to gambling then grizzling when they lost.polblagger

There certainly IS much more to this story than has been reported. This couple spent only a couple of days in the car and are far from being vulnerable. I know, for a fact, that they were evicted from their last rented property for not paying rent or utility bills - as they have been from several previous rented properties.
In fact there must be several estate agents and property owners who will verify this.
"Broker? I can think of far more appropriate names.

There certainly IS much more to this story than has been reported. This couple spent only a couple of days in the car and are far from being vulnerable. I know, for a fact, that they were evicted from their last rented property for not paying rent or utility bills - as they have been from several previous rented properties.
In fact there must be several estate agents and property owners who will verify this.
"Broker? I can think of far more appropriate names.Deramore

"IF" deramore is correct then the Echo has been conned again,and those that suspected there was more in the story were dead right.Why oh why does the Echo keep on falling for these "hard luck " stories,and give out free ads to certain businesses,including xmas tree "traders".

"IF" deramore is correct then the Echo has been conned again,and those that suspected there was more in the story were dead right.Why oh why does the Echo keep on falling for these "hard luck " stories,and give out free ads to certain businesses,including xmas tree "traders".pete woodley

Old Colonial wrote:
Oh how the mighty have fallen! This is perhaps not the best story to illustrate the plight of the homeless this Christmas.

Bitter maggot! Do you even know what a broker does?
.
Such an ignorant jealous comment! People like this guy are what helps the economy grow and employ people. As soon as a risk goes wrong the useless, unachievers want to twist the knife.

[quote][p][bold]Old Colonial[/bold] wrote:
Oh how the mighty have fallen! This is perhaps not the best story to illustrate the plight of the homeless this Christmas.[/p][/quote]Bitter maggot! Do you even know what a broker does?
.
Such an ignorant jealous comment! People like this guy are what helps the economy grow and employ people. As soon as a risk goes wrong the useless, unachievers want to twist the knife.HRH of Boscombe

pete woodley wrote:
Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.

I have to agree with you. A roof over your head is more important than a car. I think people need to get their priorities right!

I am also having a problem with the fact that they have been given a loan from the Govt and the Council for first month's rent and deposit on a 2 bed property. Surely under the guidelines these two people would not be entitled to a 2 bed property? I personally know someone who fell on hard times and ended up in a homeless hostel through no fault of their own. They tried to get a one bed flat but was informed by the Govt and the Council that rent deposit and month in advance only covers up to a certain amount and that monthly rent only goes up to a certain amount. That amount converted into either a bedsit or studio - nothing bigger. The person I know is disabled and needed a one bed but he couldn't have it. That being the case, how can these 2 people have a 2 bed property?

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
Do you know them,anymore than those speaking their mind,who knows what the true story is.Fact is if you have an expensive car,what comes first car or roof over your head,and as others have said,they have at least,£741 a month,which should cover a bedsit.[/p][/quote]I have to agree with you. A roof over your head is more important than a car. I think people need to get their priorities right!
I am also having a problem with the fact that they have been given a loan from the Govt and the Council for first month's rent and deposit on a 2 bed property. Surely under the guidelines these two people would not be entitled to a 2 bed property? I personally know someone who fell on hard times and ended up in a homeless hostel through no fault of their own. They tried to get a one bed flat but was informed by the Govt and the Council that rent deposit and month in advance only covers up to a certain amount and that monthly rent only goes up to a certain amount. That amount converted into either a bedsit or studio - nothing bigger. The person I know is disabled and needed a one bed but he couldn't have it. That being the case, how can these 2 people have a 2 bed property?boudicas mum

Poole Council would not offer a deposit bond unless there was a requirement to do so.

I assume the housing team have checked out their housing history and our satisfied that they did not make them self intentionally homeless hence the offer of a deposit bond.

Lots of people get evicted from their properties for a variety of reasons, some through their own actions but in the end as human beings surely we can show some compassion.

Poole Council would not offer a deposit bond unless there was a requirement to do so.
I assume the housing team have checked out their housing history and our satisfied that they did not make them self intentionally homeless hence the offer of a deposit bond.
Lots of people get evicted from their properties for a variety of reasons, some through their own actions but in the end as human beings surely we can show some compassion.David Hayes

I read this story after reading about the single mum with four children, one of which is in hospital with cancer, who is being evicted from her rented home. Guess who I have more sympathy for? Why have this couple been issued with a 2 bed house?

I read this story after reading about the single mum with four children, one of which is in hospital with cancer, who is being evicted from her rented home. Guess who I have more sympathy for? Why have this couple been issued with a 2 bed house?spooki

spooki wrote:
I read this story after reading about the single mum with four children, one of which is in hospital with cancer, who is being evicted from her rented home. Guess who I have more sympathy for? Why have this couple been issued with a 2 bed house?

I'm with you on that!

[quote][p][bold]spooki[/bold] wrote:
I read this story after reading about the single mum with four children, one of which is in hospital with cancer, who is being evicted from her rented home. Guess who I have more sympathy for? Why have this couple been issued with a 2 bed house?[/p][/quote]I'm with you on that!boudicas mum

Deramore wrote:
There certainly IS much more to this story than has been reported. This couple spent only a couple of days in the car and are far from being vulnerable. I know, for a fact, that they were evicted from their last rented property for not paying rent or utility bills - as they have been from several previous rented properties.
In fact there must be several estate agents and property owners who will verify this.
&quot;Broker? I can think of far more appropriate names.

Was Banker, or something like that, the far more appropriate name you were thinking of?

[quote][p][bold]Deramore[/bold] wrote:
There certainly IS much more to this story than has been reported. This couple spent only a couple of days in the car and are far from being vulnerable. I know, for a fact, that they were evicted from their last rented property for not paying rent or utility bills - as they have been from several previous rented properties.
In fact there must be several estate agents and property owners who will verify this.
"Broker? I can think of far more appropriate names.[/p][/quote]Was Banker, or something like that, the far more appropriate name you were thinking of?John T

the season of goodwill is in full flow on here then !
some of you need to take a step back and have a look at yourselves , who are you lot to dictate how people live and how would you feel in their situation ? no-one plans to be homeless and living in a car ,thats ludicrous but there are a lot of people who do , just to please you lot they have to sell the mercedes and live in cardboard boxes i presume and then as the next punishment phase be made to live in a bedsit or a caravan on a piece of waste ground so that you can come past and snarl at them ? there are words for people like you ,not really appropriate for a newspaper but you need a reality check
the wise and wonderful woodley might like to donate the coat his wife gave him when he was down on his luck , what a hypocrite
old Merc .... worth nothing , it is at least a roof over your head ,get a grip you lot !!

the season of goodwill is in full flow on here then !
some of you need to take a step back and have a look at yourselves , who are you lot to dictate how people live and how would you feel in their situation ? no-one plans to be homeless and living in a car ,thats ludicrous but there are a lot of people who do , just to please you lot they have to sell the mercedes and live in cardboard boxes i presume and then as the next punishment phase be made to live in a bedsit or a caravan on a piece of waste ground so that you can come past and snarl at them ? there are words for people like you ,not really appropriate for a newspaper but you need a reality check
the wise and wonderful woodley might like to donate the coat his wife gave him when he was down on his luck , what a hypocrite
old Merc .... worth nothing , it is at least a roof over your head ,get a grip you lot !!fantasanta

LordLilliput wrote:
Hopefully before comments get venomous to wards the couple I think it's worth considering The Echo's intention with this story.

It does have a history of printing stories for the sake of being confrontational and to attract debate and argument. In many respects that is useful BUT I feel that when they exploit individuals (who are clearly vulnerable) to do this it is inexcusable.

As per my post above, I think with a bit of direction this couple will sort themselves out but in my opinion it is wrong for The Echo to put them in the firing line - that serves no purpose except to sell newspapers.

I agree, note that the reporter has omitted their name from this spiteful excuse for a story. On another note, I see a distinct lack of folded arms in this picture, must be trainee Echo reporter week or perhaps Troller extraodinaire Woodley has been taken on by the paper?

[quote][p][bold]LordLilliput[/bold] wrote:
Hopefully before comments get venomous to wards the couple I think it's worth considering The Echo's intention with this story.
It does have a history of printing stories for the sake of being confrontational and to attract debate and argument. In many respects that is useful BUT I feel that when they exploit individuals (who are clearly vulnerable) to do this it is inexcusable.
As per my post above, I think with a bit of direction this couple will sort themselves out but in my opinion it is wrong for The Echo to put them in the firing line - that serves no purpose except to sell newspapers.[/p][/quote]I agree, note that the reporter has omitted their name from this spiteful excuse for a story. On another note, I see a distinct lack of folded arms in this picture, must be trainee Echo reporter week or perhaps Troller extraodinaire Woodley has been taken on by the paper?Arthur Maureen

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!fantasanta

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna

tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

How many times have people marked you down as fully not with it,how right they are, you do not know the people or me but keep opening your trap anonymously,silly boy.If you feel sorry for them go and help them dont tell others off for not believing them.

[quote][p][bold]fantasanta[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !![/p][/quote]How many times have people marked you down as fully not with it,how right they are, you do not know the people or me but keep opening your trap anonymously,silly boy.If you feel sorry for them go and help them dont tell others off for not believing them.pete woodley

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna

tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

Not another religious nut

[quote][p][bold]fantasanta[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !![/p][/quote]Not another religious nutPablo23

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent. "

I dare say they will have their future rent paid for by Housing Benefit and full Council Tax relief. There are many low-paid workers who do not qualify for either of these.

So what are they moaning about. I feel for the real homeless who sleep rough all year round.

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent. "
I dare say they will have their future rent paid for by Housing Benefit and full Council Tax relief. There are many low-paid workers who do not qualify for either of these.
So what are they moaning about. I feel for the real homeless who sleep rough all year round.EGHH

He Cant Sell the Merc because looking at the dash its a old merc which is worth nothing because our lovely government killed the prices of used cars with ' scrap scheme '...

You can not rent a property , pay council tax , electric , gas , food for £700 pm ... and if you think you can tell me how ....

I am sure that in their lives they have paid ' tax ' so why cant they claim for what they have paid unlike many of the new foreign visitors to our country.... who get a free house & money for arriving on the back of a lorry with no intent on working.

Come on people the story is illustrating how hard things are still in the local economy.. I bet half they people who made silly comets today would be straight to benefits office in same situation.

John sorry to see you have fallen on bad times , hope the new year brings you some luck .. and if your reading this on your ipad my suggestion is to **** it at ' Cash Converters ' & treat your wife to a more fashionable hat ;-)

He Cant Sell the Merc because looking at the dash its a old merc which is worth nothing because our lovely government killed the prices of used cars with ' scrap scheme '...
You can not rent a property , pay council tax , electric , gas , food for £700 pm ... and if you think you can tell me how ....
I am sure that in their lives they have paid ' tax ' so why cant they claim for what they have paid unlike many of the new foreign visitors to our country.... who get a free house & money for arriving on the back of a lorry with no intent on working.
Come on people the story is illustrating how hard things are still in the local economy.. I bet half they people who made silly comets today would be straight to benefits office in same situation.
John sorry to see you have fallen on bad times , hope the new year brings you some luck .. and if your reading this on your ipad my suggestion is to **** it at ' Cash Converters ' & treat your wife to a more fashionable hat ;-)Bigbaddon

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna

tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

Not another religious nut

Rather odd comment.

[quote][p][bold]Pablo23[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]fantasanta[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !![/p][/quote]Not another religious nut[/p][/quote]Rather odd comment.LordLilliput

This is what I can "inconveniencing yourself for the sake of making a point" - if sleeping in the car was really that "degrading and humiliating" they wouldn't have invited the local newspaper to take a picture of them doing it for all to see and comment on.

I suspect this was more a case of "right, fine, we'll just sleep in the car then shall we?" when they didn't get their own way.

This is what I can "inconveniencing yourself for the sake of making a point" - if sleeping in the car was really that "degrading and humiliating" they wouldn't have invited the local newspaper to take a picture of them doing it for all to see and comment on.
I suspect this was more a case of "right, fine, we'll just sleep in the car then shall we?" when they didn't get their own way.Bournefre

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna

tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

Not another religious nut

Rather odd comment.

actually that was my thoughts as well .
it is quite a lot harder for older people to pick themselves up from this situation than it is for the younger crowd ,i dont understand the big issue seller thing , these are usually fit people who will gladly stand on he street with the 'dog for sympathy' for hours for what must amount to a pittance when they could be working in a proper job

[quote][p][bold]LordLilliput[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Pablo23[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]fantasanta[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !![/p][/quote]Not another religious nut[/p][/quote]Rather odd comment.[/p][/quote]actually that was my thoughts as well .
it is quite a lot harder for older people to pick themselves up from this situation than it is for the younger crowd ,i dont understand the big issue seller thing , these are usually fit people who will gladly stand on he street with the 'dog for sympathy' for hours for what must amount to a pittance when they could be working in a proper jobfantasanta

i hate do-gooders wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !!

Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.

It seems like I have been putting up comments that have offended some people,the truth hurts sometimes !!!

Where was I, oh yes what are you on about ?? They get £170 week pension so that will give them approx £90 a week to put fuel in their merc !! Oh yeh and feed their dog.wish I still lived at home as would have more money lol

[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !![/p][/quote]Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.[/p][/quote]It seems like I have been putting up comments that have offended some people,the truth hurts sometimes !!!
Where was I, oh yes what are you on about ?? They get £170 week pension so that will give them approx £90 a week to put fuel in their merc !! Oh yeh and feed their dog.wish I still lived at home as would have more money loli hate do-gooders

i hate do-gooders wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !!

Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.

It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.

I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.

Some people have far less to live on and their not on the front page of the echo

[quote][p][bold]rozmister[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !![/p][/quote]Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.[/p][/quote]It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.
I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.[/p][/quote]Some people have far less to live on and their not on the front page of the echoi hate do-gooders

i hate do-gooders wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !!

Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.

It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.

I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.

Some people have far less to live on and their not on the front page of the echo

As I alluded to earlier, some journalists will write any old story to grab a headline..

[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]rozmister[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]i hate do-gooders[/bold] wrote:
what about about a house share can get a room for about £80 a week all bills inc, simples !![/p][/quote]Well at £80 per week thats over £4k gone. That doesn't leave a lot to buy food and clothes.
I assume by your ID that you will go through your entire life without needing help from anyone? That's assuming that you grow up and move out of your parents house fairly soon.[/p][/quote]It leaves £90 a week for food and clothes. I work 50+ hours a week and have about £50 to cover everything each week (food, clothes, etc) so it's not unreasonable to expect 2 people to live on that. As well his wife is only 59 and could maybe get a part time job.
I don't have anything against the couple or a problem with their story; sleeping in a car at Christmas must be horrible. But don't make out that renting is out of their budget because it's not. Plenty of people work full time for only marginally more than they get from the husband's pension and they manage to rent a property and survive on their income.[/p][/quote]Some people have far less to live on and their not on the front page of the echo[/p][/quote]As I alluded to earlier, some journalists will write any old story to grab a headline..LordLilliput

I lived in my car for a while when I was a student and it wasn't that bad.
Travelling around the streets in my house I felt a little like a turtle.
But this feeling seemed to evaporate once I got out of the car and shut the door.

I lived in my car for a while when I was a student and it wasn't that bad.
Travelling around the streets in my house I felt a little like a turtle.
But this feeling seemed to evaporate once I got out of the car and shut the door.Albumen

I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT

I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANTalasdair1967

alasdair1967 wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT

I can quite understand why you are angry,and cannot understand those who are backing this couple,especially as they do not know the full story.

[quote][p][bold]alasdair1967[/bold] wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT[/p][/quote]I can quite understand why you are angry,and cannot understand those who are backing this couple,especially as they do not know the full story.pete woodley

alasdair1967 wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT

Served 22 years?

I assume you mean HMF.

So you couldn't have saved some of your earnings while you lived in forces accommodation?

If you were born in 1967 you are in your mid forties so have another 20 years of 'working life' left together with a pension.

I'm not having a go and agree about the 'families on benefits' but do think you should consider what you do have not what you don't.

[quote][p][bold]alasdair1967[/bold] wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT[/p][/quote]Served 22 years?
I assume you mean HMF.
So you couldn't have saved some of your earnings while you lived in forces accommodation?
If you were born in 1967 you are in your mid forties so have another 20 years of 'working life' left together with a pension.
I'm not having a go and agree about the 'families on benefits' but do think you should consider what you do have not what you don't.scrumpyjack

Bournefre wrote:
This is what I can &quot;inconveniencin
g yourself for the sake of making a point" - if sleeping in the car was really that "degrading and humiliating" they wouldn't have invited the local newspaper to take a picture of them doing it for all to see and comment on.

I suspect this was more a case of "right, fine, we'll just sleep in the car then shall we?" when they didn't get their own way.

I have to agree theres seems to be a degree of bloody mindedness here in order to make a point. They have turned down a B&B to live in their car and also had help from Poole Council to fund a 2 bedroom place when they only really need a 1 bedroom place and if what Deramore is saying is true then theres more to this story than what has been said. I have been in the same boat as Rozmister and have to say the attitude of this couple is rather odd to say the least.

Its sad that the Echo has taken this couple as an example of homelessness at christmas when the couple could have easily taken measures to get themselves out of this predicament. A lot of others arent so lucky

[quote][p][bold]Bournefre[/bold] wrote:
This is what I can "inconveniencin
g yourself for the sake of making a point" - if sleeping in the car was really that "degrading and humiliating" they wouldn't have invited the local newspaper to take a picture of them doing it for all to see and comment on.
I suspect this was more a case of "right, fine, we'll just sleep in the car then shall we?" when they didn't get their own way.[/p][/quote]I have to agree theres seems to be a degree of bloody mindedness here in order to make a point. They have turned down a B&B to live in their car and also had help from Poole Council to fund a 2 bedroom place when they only really need a 1 bedroom place and if what Deramore is saying is true then theres more to this story than what has been said. I have been in the same boat as Rozmister and have to say the attitude of this couple is rather odd to say the least.
Its sad that the Echo has taken this couple as an example of homelessness at christmas when the couple could have easily taken measures to get themselves out of this predicament. A lot of others arent so luckys-pb2

alasdair1967 wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT

Served 22 years?

I assume you mean HMF.

So you couldn't have saved some of your earnings while you lived in forces accommodation?

If you were born in 1967 you are in your mid forties so have another 20 years of 'working life' left together with a pension.

I'm not having a go and agree about the 'families on benefits' but do think you should consider what you do have not what you don't.

Hind sight is a wonderful thing ,don't get me wrong I'm not a materialistic person ,the flat I'm currently renting is ample for my needs and in truth if I could get a mortgage I would be more than happy to purchase one similar and there have been properties for sale in the vicinity with asking price between 105 and 115k and I have tried to buy but due to the current financial climate no one is prepared to offer me a mortgage even though my pension which will remain exactly the same until I'm 55 would more than comfortably cover any future mortgage payments

[quote][p][bold]scrumpyjack[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]alasdair1967[/bold] wrote:
I'm caught in the private rental trap I live alone pay 675 alone for rent add my council tax and facilities charges 205 that's 885 before food ,it infuriates me as I can't get a mortgage as my mortgage payments on an affordable place would be far less than what I'm paying now,council will not entertain me even though I served 22 years so yes I'm fortunate to have a pension with out which I could not survive ,makes my blood boil seeing certain families on benifits with all the mod cons living the life of Riley sticking there fingers up at all the decent hard working folk scrimping to get by END OF RANT[/p][/quote]Served 22 years?
I assume you mean HMF.
So you couldn't have saved some of your earnings while you lived in forces accommodation?
If you were born in 1967 you are in your mid forties so have another 20 years of 'working life' left together with a pension.
I'm not having a go and agree about the 'families on benefits' but do think you should consider what you do have not what you don't.[/p][/quote]Hind sight is a wonderful thing ,don't get me wrong I'm not a materialistic person ,the flat I'm currently renting is ample for my needs and in truth if I could get a mortgage I would be more than happy to purchase one similar and there have been properties for sale in the vicinity with asking price between 105 and 115k and I have tried to buy but due to the current financial climate no one is prepared to offer me a mortgage even though my pension which will remain exactly the same until I'm 55 would more than comfortably cover any future mortgage paymentsalasdair1967

pete woodley wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the &quot;poor"unfortuna

tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.

you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !!

How many times have people marked you down as fully not with it,how right they are, you do not know the people or me but keep opening your trap anonymously,silly boy.If you feel sorry for them go and help them dont tell others off for not believing them.

Pete, do you need a hug?

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]fantasanta[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
I am now awaiting the news that the "poor"unfortuna
tes,h
ave been given accomodation by either Arthur Maureen or Fantasanta,dont they bite easely.[/p][/quote]you seem to have a short memory Pete , i think you have a rather nasty streak to be honest and i reckon you like to see people down on their luck ,give them a break , someone above has correctly marked you out as a troll !![/p][/quote]How many times have people marked you down as fully not with it,how right they are, you do not know the people or me but keep opening your trap anonymously,silly boy.If you feel sorry for them go and help them dont tell others off for not believing them.[/p][/quote]Pete, do you need a hug?Arthur Maureen

Adrian XX wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.

And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.

Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.

Must be nice to be Right Wing &amp; so 'fair.

What if hed had a Ford &amp; was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?

Why are you suggesting he was living beyond his means? There is no indication of this. It's almost impossible to start a business without some kind of loan - he perhaps made the mistake of guaranteeing the loan personally - we don't know this from the article.

If he had been an ex-coalman he would still probably have a decent pension (financed by tax-payers, of course).

There has always been a low-level of moaning - the higher level started when labour bailed out the banks. It would have been better to just let them go bankrupt - the market should rule. We haven't really had prosperous times since the 90s - the last high in the FTSE100 index was in 1999.

How do you know he wasnt reckless?It does sound as if they may have been living beyond their means.IE He knewhow much the rent was etc.Banking on any kind of business is dodgy especially in these times.Surely look for a cheaper place to live before getting kicked out?
I do blame the Echo though.They know stories like this will get all the usual people commenting & leaving their biased opinions.

As for the constant whinging about Labour & banks..Its happened the World over but people love 'scapegoats' especially when The Right Wing are in power.

Also you seem to jibe at someone who may have had a rather 'menial' job such as Coalman inferring that theyre scroungers too well my Father was a coalman after l;eaving the forces after 20 odd years,so he paid tax etc.The way you put it is as though only those that can afford private pensions are deserving.

As for FTSE etc.Most people dont care about things like that & most havent a clue.Theyre either happy cause theyve got money to live comfortably or not.I rarely hear or read your average person talking about FTse highs of 1999 etc.

Obviously youre superior & are able to judge whos deseving or not.Take your Thatcherist Right Wing views & shove them.I hope sincerely that nothing awful happens to you over Xmas..:)

[quote][p][bold]Adrian XX[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]stevobath[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Adrian XX[/bold] wrote:
Although on the whole I have right wing views, I think this couple deserve support. We encourage entrepreneurs in this country, so as long as he wasn't reckless, he gets my sympathy.
And we don't know how old the Mercedes is or how often he actually drives it.[/p][/quote]Oh cause you think they desrve help they must be worthy.
Must be nice to be Right Wing & so 'fair.
What if hed had a Ford & was an ex Coalman? I suppose they wouldnt be quite so deserving.Living beyond your means is reckless,just like having a huge mortgage you can barely afford which lots of people seem to do, then moan when things change..Funny you didnt hear many moaning when Labour Govt were in when everything was prosperous?[/p][/quote]Why are you suggesting he was living beyond his means? There is no indication of this. It's almost impossible to start a business without some kind of loan - he perhaps made the mistake of guaranteeing the loan personally - we don't know this from the article.
If he had been an ex-coalman he would still probably have a decent pension (financed by tax-payers, of course).
There has always been a low-level of moaning - the higher level started when labour bailed out the banks. It would have been better to just let them go bankrupt - the market should rule. We haven't really had prosperous times since the 90s - the last high in the FTSE100 index was in 1999.[/p][/quote]How do you know he wasnt reckless?It does sound as if they may have been living beyond their means.IE He knewhow much the rent was etc.Banking on any kind of business is dodgy especially in these times.Surely look for a cheaper place to live before getting kicked out?
I do blame the Echo though.They know stories like this will get all the usual people commenting & leaving their biased opinions.
As for the constant whinging about Labour & banks..Its happened the World over but people love 'scapegoats' especially when The Right Wing are in power.
Also you seem to jibe at someone who may have had a rather 'menial' job such as Coalman inferring that theyre scroungers too well my Father was a coalman after l;eaving the forces after 20 odd years,so he paid tax etc.The way you put it is as though only those that can afford private pensions are deserving.
As for FTSE etc.Most people dont care about things like that & most havent a clue.Theyre either happy cause theyve got money to live comfortably or not.I rarely hear or read your average person talking about FTse highs of 1999 etc.
Obviously youre superior & are able to judge whos deseving or not.Take your Thatcherist Right Wing views & shove them.I hope sincerely that nothing awful happens to you over Xmas..:)stevobath

I'm not being funny but he get's a lot of money a week! He can't afford his 3 bedroomed house over looking poole park?? oh boo-hoo!! Go get a 1 bedroom flat, you don't need a 3 bedroom house when just you and your wife live there! This is why housing is so hard to find for families, because old people are living in houses that are too big for them!

I'm not being funny but he get's a lot of money a week! He can't afford his 3 bedroomed house over looking poole park?? oh boo-hoo!! Go get a 1 bedroom flat, you don't need a 3 bedroom house when just you and your wife live there! This is why housing is so hard to find for families, because old people are living in houses that are too big for them!mummy123abc

Just to add they were offered a b&b and a 2 bed flat by the council! It's their own silly fault if they don't take it!! I agree with the other poster about selling their merc as well!! I'm pregnant but my partner works his **** off in a hard working job and we have our car on finance and can only afford a 2 bedroom flat, we will soon have 3 kids, and the council say our flat is big enough for us! Yet they get a 2 bedroom flat for 2 people who are married... so what?? young children are meant to share until they are 10 years old but an old married couple get an extra room?? what for?? their dog? :/

Just to add they were offered a b&b and a 2 bed flat by the council! It's their own silly fault if they don't take it!! I agree with the other poster about selling their merc as well!! I'm pregnant but my partner works his **** off in a hard working job and we have our car on finance and can only afford a 2 bedroom flat, we will soon have 3 kids, and the council say our flat is big enough for us! Yet they get a 2 bedroom flat for 2 people who are married... so what?? young children are meant to share until they are 10 years old but an old married couple get an extra room?? what for?? their dog? :/mummy123abc

pete woodley wrote:
Come on Poole Council,a lot of people,especially young couples,want to know why they get instant help.

Probably a Masonic handshake !

"Like"

Yes how come he doesn't wait in the queue like everyone else?

[quote][p][bold]alasdair1967[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
Come on Poole Council,a lot of people,especially young couples,want to know why they get instant help.[/p][/quote]Probably a Masonic handshake ![/p][/quote]"Like"
Yes how come he doesn't wait in the queue like everyone else?BeachLady

pete woodley wrote:
Can anybody explain to me why they would rent a 3 bed house just for two people,i have been trying to work out why,as well as how many nights did they spend in car ?.

I also would be interested to find this out.

I also would like to know how and why the council gave them a deposit for a 2 bed property when they are not entitled to this under Govt guidelines. Go onto Directgov website and check it out for yourselves. It says that the local bedroom entitlement is 1 bed for a couple so how can they get 2?

It also says that the local housing allowance rate for bournemouth 121.15 per week. Do they honestly think they are going to get either a 1 bed property for this amount let alone a 2 bed?

All I am seeing in this story is that the Council broke the rules by giving them the rent deposit for a 2 bed property but so did the Social Security who gave them a month's rent in advance for a 2 bed property. I honestly can't see either the Council or Social Security Dept doing this!!! Something isn't right !

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
Can anybody explain to me why they would rent a 3 bed house just for two people,i have been trying to work out why,as well as how many nights did they spend in car ?.[/p][/quote]I also would be interested to find this out.
I also would like to know how and why the council gave them a deposit for a 2 bed property when they are not entitled to this under Govt guidelines. Go onto Directgov website and check it out for yourselves. It says that the local bedroom entitlement is 1 bed for a couple so how can they get 2?
It also says that the local housing allowance rate for bournemouth 121.15 per week. Do they honestly think they are going to get either a 1 bed property for this amount let alone a 2 bed?
All I am seeing in this story is that the Council broke the rules by giving them the rent deposit for a 2 bed property but so did the Social Security who gave them a month's rent in advance for a 2 bed property. I honestly can't see either the Council or Social Security Dept doing this!!! Something isn't right !boudicas mum

So where do all these stories which i read about asian migrants getting hotel accommodation and muslims with 4 wives getting social security for all of them come from. If an English native couple cannot get help, how in the hell can these migrants.

So where do all these stories which i read about asian migrants getting hotel accommodation and muslims with 4 wives getting social security for all of them come from. If an English native couple cannot get help, how in the hell can these migrants.justdreaming

[quote][p][bold]Arthur Maureen[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]BeachLady[/bold] wrote:
No I think Pete just needs you guys to wake up ;-)[/p][/quote]Oh, I forgot he is the messiah and his word is final[/p][/quote]Now you are listening.pete woodley

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent"

Two bedroom property... Why?

The still have a Merc and can afford a dog... It beggars belief...

"The couple have been given money by Poole council to cover the deposit for a two bedroom property in Hamworthy, with a crisis loan from the Government for the first month’s rent"
Two bedroom property... Why?
The still have a Merc and can afford a dog... It beggars belief...Molecatcher

Here's how it goes folks. Tighten your belts. The Echo wants to convince advertisers they're getting value for money by advertisinig on the website. So you find a nice juicy bot-boiler of a theme 'story'. Ideally one that attracts lots of splenetic comments, which is guaranteed if you put the wrod 'Mercedes' intio the same sentence as 'living in their car'. And hey presto, you can say to your advertisers (a) look at all these extra website hits we're getting; and (b) look at how much longer people are spending on the website.
Come on suckers, of course this story is junk. Anybody with an iota of IQ can see through the many flaws.

Here's how it goes folks. Tighten your belts. The Echo wants to convince advertisers they're getting value for money by advertisinig on the website. So you find a nice juicy bot-boiler of a theme 'story'. Ideally one that attracts lots of splenetic comments, which is guaranteed if you put the wrod 'Mercedes' intio the same sentence as 'living in their car'. And hey presto, you can say to your advertisers (a) look at all these extra website hits we're getting; and (b) look at how much longer people are spending on the website.
Come on suckers, of course this story is junk. Anybody with an iota of IQ can see through the many flaws.kingstonpaul

justdreaming wrote:
Anyhow, he must have been a hell of a broker ! wonder if anybody made any money with him ?

I like Woody Allen's definition of a broker...

"Someone who invests your money till it's gone".

[quote][p][bold]justdreaming[/bold] wrote:
Anyhow, he must have been a hell of a broker ! wonder if anybody made any money with him ?[/p][/quote]I like Woody Allen's definition of a broker...
"Someone who invests your money till it's gone".Molecatcher

stevobath wrote:
Seems if you criticise the Echo, you get sent a message saying 'people are getting upset by your comments'...lol..Fre

e press

Stevobath,Just had the message myself,obviously out of order as i HAVE NOT criticised the ECHO.Whats going on is that if someone disagrees with you and you reply back they report you.

[quote][p][bold]stevobath[/bold] wrote:
Seems if you criticise the Echo, you get sent a message saying 'people are getting upset by your comments'...lol..Fre
e press[/p][/quote]Stevobath,Just had the message myself,obviously out of order as i HAVE NOT criticised the ECHO.Whats going on is that if someone disagrees with you and you reply back they report you.pete woodley

jeebuscripes wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.

Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.

Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.

Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.

Well said!

[quote][p][bold]jeebuscripes[/bold] wrote:
If I was sleeping in my car I wouldn't invite the local paper round to take a picture.
Where is their self-respect? Their pride? They come across as pathetic.
Why did they need a three bedroom house? Didn't they see that they were going to run out of money before it happened? They only have themselves to blame.
Find a cheap place, sell the Mercedes, get a part time job.[/p][/quote]Well said!LornaBournemouth

The Renegade Master wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.

I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.

There are some VERY stupid and ignorant remarks being made here, from people who have never been in this position and I hope they never will be. I HAVE!! When your running your own business and employing staff, generally if your a half decent employer, you put them first and take the consequences which can be extremely harsh, and to be honest the psychological effect of all this is truly harrowing. So before you start shouting the odds about what they should be doing, engage brain before mouth and just think seriously about how YOU would feel if your whole world had disappeared before you. YES, maybe selling the car is a good decision, but is it REALLY that simple, NO, it's not, there will be MANY factors that a short article can't hope to get across. They most certainly have my sympathies and I hope they get their lives sorted soon...

Its you who is the stupid and ignorant person and I suggest that if you are that bothered about their situation then you should put them up yourself? Yes I thought not!!! Yours has got to be the most naieve comment ever!

[quote][p][bold]Afcbpete[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Dont drop litter[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]The Renegade Master[/bold] wrote:
Sell the Merc and stop sponging off the state. If you messed up a business venture is that the tax payers fault? And as the tax payer is bailing you out, a small studio flat will suffice as there's just the two of you.[/p][/quote]I feel a **** site more pity for these two than most of the cheating wasters who claim benefits. They have probably paid taxes all their working lives. Most of us will probbaly be in the same boat by the time we retire. The pension pot will not have enough to go round and the cost of supoorting all the people who won't work or contribute is costing the Country far too much. Add to that the rising cost of living and you will find that there will be a lot more cases like this as the years go by.[/p][/quote]There are some VERY stupid and ignorant remarks being made here, from people who have never been in this position and I hope they never will be. I HAVE!! When your running your own business and employing staff, generally if your a half decent employer, you put them first and take the consequences which can be extremely harsh, and to be honest the psychological effect of all this is truly harrowing. So before you start shouting the odds about what they should be doing, engage brain before mouth and just think seriously about how YOU would feel if your whole world had disappeared before you. YES, maybe selling the car is a good decision, but is it REALLY that simple, NO, it's not, there will be MANY factors that a short article can't hope to get across. They most certainly have my sympathies and I hope they get their lives sorted soon...[/p][/quote]Its you who is the stupid and ignorant person and I suggest that if you are that bothered about their situation then you should put them up yourself? Yes I thought not!!! Yours has got to be the most naieve comment ever!LornaBournemouth

nbraeman wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.

Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.

Rents are not cheaper than mortgages theses days.

[quote][p][bold]FNS-man[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]nbraeman[/bold] wrote:
There must be more to this than is being reported, but if you ever get into an argument about whether buying or renting is better then this surely shows how, if you can afford to, buying and therefore having no mortgage or rent by the time you retire is the best option.[/p][/quote]Not really. If you rent somewhere and save the additional money that you would have to put into a mortgage, then you should have a huge amount of money by the time you retire.[/p][/quote]Rents are not cheaper than mortgages theses days.elfinia

This truely has to be the one of the worst incorrect articles to date. ECHO
get you facts straight!
I bet they didn't even spend one night in the merc!
Get a job you useless pair, you obviously live far beyond your means. You can't be that hard up if you have a merc and a dog, get a grip.

This truely has to be the one of the worst incorrect articles to date. ECHO
get you facts straight!
I bet they didn't even spend one night in the merc!
Get a job you useless pair, you obviously live far beyond your means. You can't be that hard up if you have a merc and a dog, get a grip.little-miss-sunshine

mummy123abc wrote:
Just to add they were offered a b&amp;b and a 2 bed flat by the council! It's their own silly fault if they don't take it!! I agree with the other poster about selling their merc as well!! I'm pregnant but my partner works his **** off in a hard working job and we have our car on finance and can only afford a 2 bedroom flat, we will soon have 3 kids, and the council say our flat is big enough for us! Yet they get a 2 bedroom flat for 2 people who are married... so what?? young children are meant to share until they are 10 years old but an old married couple get an extra room?? what for?? their dog? :/

Don't keep popping kids out then!

[quote][p][bold]mummy123abc[/bold] wrote:
Just to add they were offered a b&b and a 2 bed flat by the council! It's their own silly fault if they don't take it!! I agree with the other poster about selling their merc as well!! I'm pregnant but my partner works his **** off in a hard working job and we have our car on finance and can only afford a 2 bedroom flat, we will soon have 3 kids, and the council say our flat is big enough for us! Yet they get a 2 bedroom flat for 2 people who are married... so what?? young children are meant to share until they are 10 years old but an old married couple get an extra room?? what for?? their dog? :/[/p][/quote]Don't keep popping kids out then!goatty

brentmeister wrote:
According to the guidelines you are intentionally homeless. I suggest you get rid of the dog and sell the car. Use the money to secure a one bedroom flat or a bedsit. £171pw is more than enough to live on. People on benefits have to survive on £71pw. Getting yourself into debt then playing the victim is appalling. Happy Christmas and good luck. .

Well lets hope you don't fall on bad times and need help someday. If so maybe you should get rid of your pet or your children?
Your ignorant comment on how people survive on £71 is ill informed. Have you tried to live on that amount?
Its snobs like you that have no idea of the real world that makes me sick of this country. Guess you are a Banker or someone who has had a silver spoon in their gob

[quote][p][bold]brentmeister[/bold] wrote:
According to the guidelines you are intentionally homeless. I suggest you get rid of the dog and sell the car. Use the money to secure a one bedroom flat or a bedsit. £171pw is more than enough to live on. People on benefits have to survive on £71pw. Getting yourself into debt then playing the victim is appalling. Happy Christmas and good luck. .[/p][/quote]Well lets hope you don't fall on bad times and need help someday. If so maybe you should get rid of your pet or your children?
Your ignorant comment on how people survive on £71 is ill informed. Have you tried to live on that amount?
Its snobs like you that have no idea of the real world that makes me sick of this country. Guess you are a Banker or someone who has had a silver spoon in their gobgoatty

stevobath wrote:
Seems if you criticise the Echo, you get sent a message saying 'people are getting upset by your comments'...lol..Fre

e press

Stevobath,Just had the message myself,obviously out of order as i HAVE NOT criticised the ECHO.Whats going on is that if someone disagrees with you and you reply back they report you.

Seems to be the case Pete?

[quote][p][bold]pete woodley[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]stevobath[/bold] wrote:
Seems if you criticise the Echo, you get sent a message saying 'people are getting upset by your comments'...lol..Fre
e press[/p][/quote]Stevobath,Just had the message myself,obviously out of order as i HAVE NOT criticised the ECHO.Whats going on is that if someone disagrees with you and you reply back they report you.[/p][/quote]Seems to be the case Pete?stevobath

Buzetti wrote:
Can you &quot;fall" homeless?
A bit like "falling pregnant" (ie not your fault..)

I laugh when I hear young women come out with 'I got caught' when getting pregnant..Yes of course you did,cause you slept with someone without taking precautions!

[quote][p][bold]Buzetti[/bold] wrote:
Can you "fall" homeless?
A bit like "falling pregnant" (ie not your fault..)[/p][/quote]I laugh when I hear young women come out with 'I got caught' when getting pregnant..Yes of course you did,cause you slept with someone without taking precautions!stevobath